U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is seeking methods to bolster portable drug detection system capabilities.
DHS personnel indicated the agency is collaborating with the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to offer 12 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) access as a means of collecting reference data on 17 commercial-off-the-shelf narcotics detection systems.
“Interagency collaboration and engagements with industry like this are critical to ensuring we enrich current detection capabilities to meet the latest trends in narcotics trafficking,” DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dimitri Kusnezov said. “Upgrading detection systems to help first responders combat the drug epidemic can make a real difference in ensuring the safety and well being of Americans.”
Officials are espousing the benefits of working with vendors and manufacturers of portable drug detectors to improve the ability to identify different narcotics that include fentanyl. OEMs will provide an updated version of their libraries to first responders who use their systems.
“These detection systems are what first responders rely upon in the field,” S&T Opioid/Fentanyl Detection Program Manager Rosanna Anderson said. “Providing data-backed test and evaluation to independently validate the reliability and accuracy of these systems, while also enhancing their detection capabilities, is a top priority for the Opioid / Fentanyl Detection Program.”
S&T and PNNL would publish a public report in early fall detailing the results informing the procurement of field detection systems by DHS components, first responder agencies, and other end-users.